How To Propagate Herbs

When it comes to gardening, it is probably easier to start by growing some garden herbs, especially if you are a beginner. There are several posts on this blog that can help you from how to grow rosemary to how to grow oregano and even how to grow herb. However, if you learn how to propagate herbs, you have armed yourself with knowledge on what is probably the easiest way to get any garden herbs started.

When considering propagating your herbs, you want to take the cuttings when it is actively growing but not flowering. In most cases this is during the gardening season, which is from spring to fall. You want the softwood section of any stem, this is the light colored and flexible section. The best time of day to take cuttings is in the morning, you reduce the amount of stress on the plant if you do it in the morning.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

herb cuttings
rubbing alcohol
pruning shears
ziploc bag
glass jar
water

Step By Step Instructions:

Step 1.

Disinfect your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol and make a cut under where two leaves join your stem a.ka. the node.

Step 2.

Your cutting should be about 4 to 6 inches, pinch off all the leaves in the bottom section of the cutting (the roots will emerge from there). This is usually about 2 inches from the bottom.

Step 3.

Place the cutting in a glass of water. The water should cover the stem, but none of the leaves should be submerged.

Step 4.

Cover the glass and the cutting in plastic ziploc bag, so as to create a mini greenhouse, which will help retain the moisture.

Step 5.

Leave to sit in a location that receives indirect sunlight and is also not too hot.

It usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks for the cutting to have enough roots for a successful transplant into a pot. During this time you may have to open up the ziploc bag to remove any condensation, just turn it inside out and shake. Only add more water if the water level goes below the stems. Also keep an eye out for mold, in which case you are going to have to replace all the water in the glass jar. That’s all there is to it, happy propagating! 🙂

You can watch the video below on Grow Herbs from Cuttings: Rosemary | Thyme | Oregano …